Dr. Pat Reardon, surgical director of the Methodist Hospital's Reflux Center, performed the surgery, according to a Methodist Hospital press release. The procedure ended years of severe discomfort in a matter of hours for the patient, the hospital said in the release.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease occurs when the stomach contents, be it food, liquid or stomach acid, leak backward from the stomach into the esophagus, the that carries contents from the throat to the stomach, the hospital's press release said. This backwash can irritate the esophagus, causing heartburn, regurgitation and other symptoms. Often, this problem occurs due to a faulty ring of muscle at the bottom of the esophagus that acts like a valve between the esophagus and stomach. The ring, known as the lower esophageal sphincter, normally opens to allow food to pass into the stomach and closes to prevent food and acidic stomach juices from flowing back into the esophagus, the hospital's release explained.

Reardon used the new Linx Reflux Management System, recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, according to the hospital's press release. The system uses a small implant made of intertwined titanium beads with magnetic cores, designed to prevent the sphincter ring at the base of the esophagus from opening. The magnetic attraction between the beads allows food to go by when a patient eats. The magnets then snap back into place to prevent the valve from opening once the food is in the stomach.